DAC Collection Artist Information

Felice Beato
British (ca. 1825 - ca. 1908)

British photographer, active in Constantinople, the Mediteranean, Japan, and elsewhere in Asia

Brief biography, in most instances from the Union List of Artist Names® Online:
In 1853 Beato was in Constantinople, Turkey assisting a British Photographer James Robertson. It is believed that the partnership between the two brother-in laws was formed in either 1853 or in 1854 when Robertson opened a studio in the Péra district of Constantinople. Since some of the photographs are signed "Robertson, Beato & Co." it is thought that the "and Co." stands for another brother Antonio Beato. From 1853 to 1856 Beato photographed in Malta and the Mediterranean, Egypt, Palestine and Greece with Robertson. From 1855 to 1856 Beato and Robertson replaced Roger Fenton as photographers of the Crimean War. Beato photographed the Indiam Mutiny in 1857 and also the Siege of Lucknow, India in 1858. In 1860 Beato left the partnership with Robertson to photograph the opium war in China and the signing of the peace treaty between the Mandarins and Britain. In 1862 Beato moved to Yokohama, Japan and in 1865 formed a partnership with artist Charles Wirgman called "Beato & Wirgman Artists and Photographers". From 1869 to 1877 Beato ran his own studio in Yokohama called "F. Beato & Co., Photographers". In 1877, Beato sold most of his stock to the firm Stillfried & Andersen who then moved into his studio. From 1884 to 1885 Beato was the official photographer of the expeditionary forces to the Sudan. In 1886 Beato returned to live in Japan.

Artist ID number in the Union List of Artist Names®:ULAN 500002985.The ULAN link above leads to a cataloging authority record at the Getty Research Institute.

Information here was last updated on 9/7/2017. Some is from older cataloging. Most objects acquired through 7/18/2016 are represented; cataloging is in process for some acquired before, and many after, that date. We continue to add and update content. Please contact the DAC Registrar of Collections to suggest corrections with citations. Captions embedded in DAC images have basic information as of the time the digital image was made; details and updates appear on object pages.